Thanks to Yu Shuman's gradual concessions, Qin Ran finally succeeded in getting into her room. However, she could only watch helplessly as Yu Shuman pulled out an extra pillow and blanket, effectively setting up separate sleeping arrangements.
Qin Ran was frustrated. She shouldn't have stocked the house with so many spares; now she had to sleep under a different blanket. But having made the first move, she was confident that the day would soon come when she could use the gift from the perfume company owner.
With the bed made up, Qin Ran quickly climbed in, tucked herself under the covers, and settled against the headboard. She removed her glasses and placed them on the bedside table, then patted the bed, signaling Yu Shuman to join her. Yu Shuman had no choice but to lift the blanket on the other side and lie down.
Qin Ran was even more frustrated now, wondering why she had even prepared a double bed in the guest room. If it had been a single bed, they would have had to sleep snuggled together. But then she realized that if the guest room had been a single bed, Yu Shuman probably wouldn't have let her in at all, citing that the bed was too small for two.
With Yu Shuman already lying down, Qin Ran followed suit, sliding down from the headboard to lie flat on the bed. Yu Shuman reached over to the nightstand, grabbed the remote, and turned off the lights. Soon, the room was plunged into darkness.
Unlike their previous experiences of sleeping together, Yu Shuman now felt a bit awkward. She lay next to Qin Ran, her breathing slow and steady, but she was far from asleep. Qin Ran, feeling a warm surge of affection, reached out, her hand slipping from under her own blanket and into Yu Shuman's, where she found her arm.
Yu Shuman stiffened for a moment but then relaxed, turning her hand to grasp Qin Ran's gently.
"Stop messing around and go to sleep."
Qin Ran chuckled softly, and the tension between them dissipated with Yu Shuman's words. Qin Ran replied, "I can't sleep. I slept too much yesterday. Let's talk, Shuman."
Yu Shuman turned onto her side to face Qin Ran. In the darkness, Qin Ran could faintly make out the curve of Yu Shuman's body as she turned her head to face her. Though they couldn't see each other clearly, Qin Ran knew Yu Shuman was looking at her.
Qin Ran lifted their joined hands, placing them near their faces.
Yu Shuman didn't say anything, but Qin Ran understood that she wanted her to start the conversation. Although Qin Ran wasn't usually the talkative type, being around Yu Shuman made her want to share everything. She asked Yu Shuman what kind of house she dreamed of, what her ideal home would look like.
Yu Shuman was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Soon, her soft voice broke the silence.
"A house, huh? I haven't really thought about it much before. Houses are so expensive these days, and I don't make much money…" She trailed off. It wasn't that she didn't make much money; she just gave most of it to the "Social Benefactor." Qin Ran knew from looking at that account that Yu Shuman had already transferred a million yuan to it.
After making this remark, Yu Shuman began to describe her dream home.
"If possible, I'd like a small two-story house. It doesn't need many rooms, just enough for my mom to come over and stay for a few days. I'd like a little yard, and if there could be a tree with a swing, that would be perfect. We had a swing in my hometown, and I loved playing on it when I was little. My mom would probably want to plant vegetables if she saw the yard, but I'd want to plant flowers. Any kind of flowers, really—hydrangeas, roses, camellias…" She chuckled softly. "Although I've never planted flowers before, so I might make a mess of it."
Qin Ran laughed along with her.
In Yu Shuman's words, Qin Ran imagined the house, the messy little garden, and Yu Shuman's slightly troubled expression as she looked at the disorganized flower beds. The images were vivid, and she couldn't help but want such a home.
It was similar to the house Qin Ran had described to Wu Tezhu before, because she knew Yu Shuman so well. She knew that what Yu Shuman wanted wasn't a large, grand house but a cozy, homey place.
After Yu Shuman finished speaking, Qin Ran couldn't help but agree, "That sounds like a wonderful house."
Yu Shuman, realizing something, quickly added, "But don't go spending money recklessly! I'll earn the money myself and buy the house. Remember, I promised you I'd become 99 Entertainment's biggest cash cow, and I'm going to be an award-winning actress. I'll definitely make a lot of money!"
Qin Ran smiled and gave a soft "mm" in response.
Her senior was indeed very lovable and honest. Her wishes were simple and a bit mundane, but Qin Ran loved Yu Shuman for that. At the same time, Qin Ran felt a bit guilty because she had already started looking at houses without telling Yu Shuman. Well, it couldn't be helped. She would have Wu Tezhu find more options, keeping the "love nest" in Beijing on hold while focusing on buying a few vacation villas.
Yu Shuman had no idea that her words hadn't discouraged Qin Ran from spending money, but instead had made her speed up the process.
Once Yu Shuman started talking, she couldn't stop. She was naturally talkative, and by the time she started feeling sleepy, Qin Ran squeezed her hand gently and urged her to go to sleep. The next morning, Qin Ran got up first to make breakfast, and Yu Shuman only woke up later, rubbing her eyes and greeting Qin Ran with a sleepy "good morning."
She thought she'd have a hard time falling asleep the night before, but after talking for a while, she had drifted off. Qin Ran called her over for breakfast. She had prepared a full spread, and after finishing her meal, Yu Shuman rushed out to work after a call from Xiao An. Qin Ran cleaned up, washed the dishes, and then headed out for her classes.
This morning, Qin Ran's ride had already been switched to the Rolls-Royce, with a new driver that Wu Tezhu had hired. The driver greeted Qin Ran with a polite but distant smile, which indicated he was also an introvert. This realization made Qin Ran breathe a sigh of relief; she couldn't stand chatty people—except for Yu Shuman. If the driver had been the type to talk incessantly while driving, this would have been his first and last day driving Qin Ran.
The backseat of the Rolls was quite comfortable. As she sat in the car, Qin Ran texted Wu Tezhu, instructing her to coordinate with Sister Li to arrange driving lessons for both her and Yu Shuman. Wu Tezhu, faced with the sudden workload, didn't complain and quickly confirmed that she would handle it.
When Qin Ran got home from school that evening to make dinner, she received a call from Yu Shuman, saying she'd be working late. Qin Ran didn't mind and just reminded her not to overwork herself and to take care of her health. After finishing dinner alone, cleaning up, and preparing a late-night snack for Yu Shuman, Qin Ran retreated to her study to continue her work.
This routine continued for several days. Although they didn't see each other much, they still shared the same bed every night. Sometimes they'd chat, and other times they'd just lie there, listening to each other's breathing as they drifted off to sleep. To Qin Ran, this was a perfect life; as long as Yu Shuman was by her side, she felt at peace.
Soon, the night of the charity auction arrived. Since both of them were attending, they had the makeup artists come to the house. However, they got ready in separate rooms. While Qin Ran was getting her makeup done, Wu Tezhu was busy talking non-stop. She started with the perfume company acquisition plan. Since the deal had already been agreed upon, the follow-up work was relatively straightforward. Then she moved on to the next quarter's plans for several high-revenue companies, along with some cooperation offers from rival firms.
Wu Tezhu spoke quickly, making it difficult to keep up unless one was fully focused. Necessary documents were provided for key points to ensure nothing was missed. Fortunately, Qin Ran was used to processing information at high speed and multitasking. Not only did she keep up with Wu Tezhu's updates, but she also asked insightful questions about specific details.
It was no wonder that Wu Tezhu didn't waste a single moment, even during Qin Ran's makeup session. After all, her time with Qin Ran was limited.
As Qin Ran's special assistant, Wu Tezhu was technically supposed to be at her side 24/7. But since Qin Ran spent her days attending classes, it wasn't feasible for Wu Tezhu to stand by with a stack of documents in the lecture hall. The time after school when Qin Ran visited the company was far too short, especially since she had to split that time with Sister Li at 99 Entertainment, leaving even less time for Wu Tezhu. It was fortunate that the makeup artists and stylists were all part of 99 Entertainment's in-house team and bound by strict contracts. Otherwise, Wu Tezhu wouldn't have shared a word.
The most pressing reason for the constant barrage of information was the sheer volume of work. Qin Ran had acquired numerous companies, many of which were international. Managing cross-border operations was complex enough, but Qin Ran's diversified investments added another layer of difficulty. Despite having a team of nearly thirty assistants, Wu Tezhu still felt overwhelmed and believed the team needed further expansion.
"Boss, I think we need to expand the assistant team further. Everyone is already working at full capacity, and it's starting to take a toll."
"Then go ahead and expand. You don't need to ask me about such minor decisions."
"Understood."
Wu Tezhu swiftly moved on to the next agenda item. She was always amazed by how Qin Ran, a young university student, handled business matters with the acumen of a seasoned executive. Qin Ran's business instincts were sharp, and her acquisitions were consistently profitable—except, of course, when it came to anything related to Yu Shuman.
For instance, 99 Entertainment, which Qin Ran had founded primarily for Yu Shuman, was essentially a money pit. Without Qin Ran's personal subsidies, the company would have gone under long ago.
"99 Entertainment's upcoming drama series are set to be released in mid-November. Based on our projections, we should be able to recoup some of the investment through online streaming platforms. However, we're still looking at an overall loss of around three hundred million yuan."
"Mm."
Qin Ran acknowledged the report with a simple "mm" and nothing more. If this were any other company, Wu Tezhu would have advised divestment. But she knew that Qin Ran would never let go of 99 Entertainment, even if it meant every other venture failed. So, she moved on to the next topic without further comment.